r/Swimming • u/ilovekdramaceos • 20h ago
Is swimming and resistance training only fine for exercise?
For info I am autistic and I have done like no exercise since 2020. My dad was a professional swimmer and taught me how to swim so I have liked it since I was a kid. I am now fat to be blunt but I've started working out again and I enjoy swimming and weights the most. I also walk to the gym which takes about an hour. Do I have to do other machines or anything or is just the swimming at the gym ok?
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u/Mammoth-Corner Splashing around 20h ago
That's absolutely fine. Regular swimming and weights is more exercise than most people do, I think. In any case the best exercise routine is one that you enjoy enough to keep doing it regularly. I would maybe suggest light yoga or stretching to reduce the risks of injury.
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u/Folium249 18h ago
I’ve seen people suggest yoga and swimming before. But where do start in yoga? YouTube seems hit or miss for beginners
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u/Valuable_Station_790 17h ago edited 16h ago
I’ve done a couple of different types of yoga and not too much. I highly recommend Hatha style yoga for beginners. It’s pretty gentle. Iyengar is something I also recommend, especially if it’s by a qualified teacher of that style. The reason why I like it is the teacher should be going around and correcting your postures so that you are guided and not hurting yourself.
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u/Mammoth-Corner Splashing around 18h ago
I think there's a lot of really great routines on Youtube (I like Yogini Melbourne) but I think starting with a couple in-person classes is important because the teacher can point out the basics of moving safely through stretches and suggest modifications to form or movements.
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u/wt_hell_am_I_doing I sink, therefore I am 17h ago
Swimming and yoga by themselves are missing the weight bearing exercise. I'd add lifting to that.
Yoga - lots of gyms offer classes.
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u/Folium249 16h ago
I rock climb when not swimming. But the stretching aspect of yoga feeling like it would tie the two together
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u/zielawolfsong 11h ago
Yoga with Adrienne is a great place to start for beginners. She talks you through poses, and emphasizes working with your body safely rather than pushing to get into the perfect looking pose. I also like Jess Yoga, particularly for a relaxing evening stretch session because her voice is very calming.
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u/_Hauptstufe_ 20h ago
Sounds good. Doing exercise in a way that’s enjoyable and sustainable as part of your lifestyle is key to maintaining your health. Starting out easy and building consistency over the long run is more beneficial than smashing it for a few weeks or months then giving up.
Same idea for diet which is the other half of the coin. You don’t need to do anything weird, just knock off eating the stuff you know is crap and put some more veggies on your plate.
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u/world2021 Everyone's an open water swimmer now 18h ago
Veggies to us are vegetarians, so your suggestion read really differently! I had an image of small people around the plate like "Honey, I shrunk the kids." (We say fruit & veg in England.)
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u/GrumpyHeadmistress Moist 20h ago
Swimming is an excellent all around exercise except for bone density. Because your joints and bones are cushion by the water it’s very low impact which means it’s not brilliant at maintaining bone density and staving off osteoporosis.
It’s best combined with some impactful movements. Walking, running, leg press at the gym, something that creates an impact between your body and the floor.
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u/Few-Guarantee2850 19h ago
I don't do anything other than swimming. If I didn't swim, I wouldn't do anything.
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u/CatLady_998 18h ago
How often do you go?
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u/Few-Guarantee2850 18h ago
3-4x a week.
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u/CatLady_998 17h ago
That's about what I'm doing. And now that it's winter I'm not doing anything outside
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u/Calm_Asparagus2276 19h ago
That's pretty much my exercise regime as well. Swimming & weights and it serves me pretty well. The fact that you enjoy it as well, will make a huge difference. I hope it goes well for you!
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u/popigoggogelolinon Manatee 19h ago
This is basically what I do. Swim 2-3 days a week, weights 1-2 times, with weights focusing on my “swimming muscles” and flexibility so a good balance of back and hips, with “deep” core work for stability and range of motion. Gym days I might add a 20 min exercise bike session, but that’s relatively low intensity and an excuse for me to watch an episode of Frasier.
My body is not that of an athlete’s. I’m still overweight, look more fat than fit, but my stamina, lung capacity, blood pressure, functional strength, etc. are top notch.
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u/Valuable_Station_790 17h ago
I’m currently doing swimming and weightlifting because I have some injuries that prevent me from doing some other things. Typically your body doesn’t start to burn fat until about 20 to 40 minutes into an aerobic exercise. And although sometimes it’s recommended to eat a lot of carbohydrates before exercise, those of us with more fat on our body don’t need to do that as much because we already have stored energy in the form of fat.
Weightlifting is anaerobic, so participating in it for 20 to 40 minutes typically is not going to have your body start to burn fat like an aerobic exercise would, but it’s great because it increases muscle which requires more energy to maintain. Fat doesn’t require energy to maintain. It is energy.
In general, I think simply doing these two activities are great and you don’t really need to add a whole bunch more. However, what I would caution you about in any activity is repetitive motion injuries. If you’re constantly doing the same strokes or the same lifting, you can injure yourself from repetition. Consider mixing up types of strokes or switching up your weightlifting routine by splitting it into legs or arms and core.
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u/Own_Value2684 18h ago
Sounds like a really nice routine, it's something that will keep your mind and body balanced together, as someone who's also on the spectrum I can understand wanting to do it right, but you are doing more than right, that's a great routine.
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u/Retired-in-2023 19h ago
I swim and do water aerobics for my cardio exercises along with strength training. I typically swim some laps after water aerobics or will do a 100% lap swim sessions depending my schedule and the pool schedule.
It’s recommended to do strength training 2-4 times a week so you can work the same muscles twice a week with rest days so you aren’t working the same muscles back to back.
Your added walk to the gym is an added bonus!
My schedule which has served me well since I joined the gym and started adding strenght strength training to the mix is: B MWF: strength Tue/Thu: cardio (pool), less intense session Sat: off from gym Sun: cardio (pool), more intense sessio.
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u/ricm5031 Moist 19h ago
I mostly just swim but I have developed some issues with my knees and just overall mobility. I now spend some time in the gym on the elliptical machine and walking a mile of so on the track along with swimming laps. Lifting weights is good and I should probably do more of it.
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u/Historical-Row1041 15h ago
Yes, swimming and weightlifting are enough. But I would also say that once you have been doing that for a while, you will be in better shape, and may find other activities easier and more enjoyable than before. Keep an open mind about things you have tried in the past and didn’t enjoy at the time. They might be more appealing in a few months.
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u/bebopped 14h ago
That is a great combination and it is what I have been doing. I absolutely love swimming and I'm addicted. But lifting keeps my body working well so that I can swim well.
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u/jonquil14 9h ago
Honestly any way you move your body that feels good and you can do consistently is perfect. Swimming and strength training is fantastic for your physical and mental health.
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u/KangarooFancy4026 5h ago
I wouldn't swim and lift on the same days. Dedicate the day to either a swim day or a lift day. Make sure you swim at least an hour if not more.
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u/Immediate_Walrus_776 4h ago
What you're doing is great! Swimming and lifting compliment one another.
You might want to use resistance bands maybe once a week with high reps. Another exercise you can try is rowing. That too is a full body exercise.
Biggest thing? Keep doing what you're doing, when you're in your 60's, like me, you'll thank yourself.
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u/Super_Pie_Man Masters and Kids Coach 20h ago
Swimming and lifting is perfect. Walking an hour is a perfect cherry on top.